Fire fighters, law enforcement personnel and other emergency services personnel often encounter an emergency situation where it becomes necessary to break a pane of tempered glass such as in an automobile window or home. Using the typical implements that they carry, such as batons and flashlights, it can be very difficult to break the glass.
Design trends have provided automobiles with additional glass windows and other glass areas. Buildings have also been constructed with large glass windows and partitions. With so many power accessories and safety, comfort and security subsystems in a vehicle or in a building, these glass panes are often closed and may not even be capable of being opened. Thus, in an emergency, the ability of occupants to escape through a window is often prevented. In a vehicle, for example, with the air conditioning running, the windows are closed. Many vehicles have power lock doors, windows, self-locking doors, and childproof door latches. These security/safety subsystems are controlled at the drivers seat by the driver. There is no electrical override. In an emergency, the driver must release these subsystems to allow passengers to exit the vehicle.
In an accident, including one in which a vehicle remains upright, an electrical failure, fire or electrical short in a subsystem may preclude the ability to rapidly exit the vehicle. If doors are locked, jammed or inoperable, the only means of escape is through a window. If the vehicle is flipped over or is submerged in water, exit is prevented unless the windows are broken. Yet, safety glass in vehicles is difficult to break by kicking or punching. As a result, there is no ability to exit rapidly from smoke, fire, water or fumes that are entering the passenger compartment.
Attempts to successfully break a window manually as by a kick, elbow, punch, or slam is difficult because the window glass has flexibility and absorbs some of the energy of the blows. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to break out increase fear and anxiety from the inability to escape.
In buildings, large, thick, plate glass windows are even more difficult to break than vehicle glass. It is known that attempts to escape from a building may involve smashing a chair or other heavy object against a window pane only to have the pane remain unfazed, or crack but not break open.
Safety hammers are known that have a point or points that can be used to break glass. However, these hammers are specially designed for breaking glass or for emergency use and therefore may not be on hand or readily accessible when the need arises. They are not typical implements that are carried or readily accessible day after day, nor are they designed or configured to be incorporated or retrofitted into such typical implements. Moreover, these safety hammers normally have exposed points that can cause inadvertent injury.
Accordingly, an easy to carry, easy to use and readily accessible means is needed for emergency services personnel to break in through a window in various emergencies and for occupants to break out through a window in various emergencies. It would be particularly desirable if such means could be incorporated or retrofitted into an implement that is already in widespread use.